Gundicha Temple

Getting there

• By road

  The temple lies about 3 km from the Shrimandira, the main Jagannath temple. During Rath Yatra the procession takes the Bada Danda avenue to reach its gates.

Rules to know

• Foreigners, who are barred from the main Jagannath temple, may enter Gundicha Temple during the festival period.

Why devotees come here

Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, is the destination of the annual Rath Yatra. Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra stay here for seven days each year. The temple is built of light-grey sandstone in the Kalinga style.

Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and his sister Subhadra stay here for seven complete days each year. A legend says the temple is named after Queen Gundicha, wife of Indradyumna, the legendary builder of the main temple. Another legend says Jagannath leaves his consort Lakshmi locked in a store room at the main temple while he stays here.

The temple is built of light-grey sandstone in the Kalinga Deula style. It has four parts: the vimana with the sanctum, the jagamohana assembly hall, the nata-mandapa festival hall and the bhoga-mandapa offering hall. In the sanctum, a plain raised chlorite platform called Ratnavedi holds the deities during the festivities. The western gate is the main gate, through which the deities enter during Rath Yatra.

Festivals

• Second lunar day of the bright fortnight of AshadhaRath Yatra

  The annual festival whose procession ends at this temple, where the deities stay for seven days.

• Fifth day of Rath YatraHera Panchami

  A major ceremony celebrated in this temple during the festival.

• Sixth day of Rath YatraDakshina Moda

  The ceremony of turning south, observed the day after Hera Panchami.

• After the deities spend seven days hereBahuda Yatra

  The return journey to the main temple, when the deities are brought out in a pahandi ceremony.

Tips for your visit

• Plan to come for Sandhya Darshan, the evening prayer on the second last festival day, which is considered the most important day for darshan.
• On the first day of Rath Yatra, the procession reaches the temple gates before nightfall.

Questions people ask